Abstract: A wholly aromatic liquid crystalline polyester resin composition comprising about 97-60 parts by weight of a wholly aromatic polyester resin (A) having melting peak determined by DSC equal to or higher than 310° C.; and about 3-40 parts by weight of a wholly aromatic polyester resin (B) having melting peak determined by DSC equal to or lower than 300° C. is provided. The novel liquid crystalline polyester resin composition of the present invention exhibits an improved melt flowability and can provide a molded article having reflow-soldering heat resistance.

Abstract: Functionalized cubic gel precursors, functionalized cubic liquid crystalline gels, dispersions of functionalized cubic gel particles, functionalized cubic gel particles, and methods of preparation and use thereof. The precursors, gels, dispersions, and particles are prepared with hydrotropes that do not detrimentally affect the cubic liquid crystalline structure of the precursors, gels, dispersions, and particles. The precursors, gels, dispersions, and particles can be used to deliver active ingredients to substrates.

Abstract: A film for a liquid crystal display. The film is a cellulose ester film with a thickness between 20 and 65 &mgr;m and containing fine particles. The average diameter of fine particles is 0.005 to 3.0 &mgr;m. The number of fine particles per 1,000 &mgr;m2 is 5 to 500 in the cross-section perpendicular to the cellulose ester film in a region of a depth of not more than 10 &mgr;m.

Abstract: A liquid crystalline material having a lamellar structure can be used for phase modulation. A liquid crystal having arcuated or angular dimer molecules so that the molecules each include two central units, and the longitudinal axes of the two central units exhibit at least approximately oppositely directed inclination angles with respect to the layer normal z. By configuring the two central units of the dimer molecule in accordance with the present invention, the molecular index ellipsoid, which is essentially composed of the components of the two readily polarizable central units, may be positioned such that the optical axis is always situated in parallel to the layer normal z, making it possible to prevent the light, which propagates in a defined direction orthogonally to the layer normal through the liquid crystalline material, from undergoing a polarization modulation simultaneously with the phase modulation.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display giving an excellent image without defects is proposed. The liquid crystal display is equipped with an optical compensatory sheet in which a transparent support, an orientation layer and an optically anisotropic layer formed from a liquid crystal compound are provided in this order. The orientation layer has a surface roughness of 0.1 to 2.0 nm.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device, suitably included in e.g., an organic EL device, is formed of a pair of electrodes and a plurality of layers disposed between the electrodes and including at least one liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer comprises a liquid crystal composition having an electronic carrier-transporting function and comprising at least two compounds including at least one electron-donating compound or electron-accepting compound having a &pgr;-electron conjugated structure. As a result of doping the liquid crystal layer with the electron-donating or electron-accepting compound, the current conduction performance of the liquid crystal layer is improved presumably due to the generation of free carriers therein, whereby a functional device including the liquid crystal device can be improved as a whole.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal composition whose orientation undergoes a large change upon irradiation with light, and which also has a large birefringence &Dgr;n. The liquid crystal composition contains an aromatic acetylene compound and a chiral compound that undergoes a structural change upon photoreaction, and has such properties that, upon irradiation with light, its helical pitch undergoes a large change in accordance with the level of the light intensity, and that has a large birefringence &Dgr;n. Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to provide a reflection type color filter which utilizes the liquid crystal composition, and which provides a lighter display with high reflectance. Moreover, the present invention also provides an optical film that can be formed as a thinner film using the liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: A retardation film that can compensate for the optical properties of the liquid crystal cells of a liquid crystal display device and thereby enhance image quality. The retardation film consists of a single polymer film, which has a wavelength range in which the retardation value is positive and a wavelength range in which it is negative in a wavelength range of 400-800 nm, and which satisfies the following inequality (1) and/or (2) and has a water absorption of no greater than 1% by mass.

Abstract: A compound of formula (I): wherein MG1 and MG3 each independently represent an optionally-substituted aliphatic group with 1 to 80 C-atoms, in which one or more C-atoms may be replaced by a heteroatom, in such a way that oxygen atoms are not linked to one another; or an optionally-substituted aromatic or non-aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring system, with 1 to 80 C-atoms; and MG2 represents a group comprising at least two and up to four optionally-substituted aromatic or non-aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring systems, with 1 to 80 C-atoms, wherein, when MG2 represents a group comprising four optionally-substituted ring systems, at least three of the ring systems are aligned in between B1 and B2. The groups MG1, MG2 and MG3 in these new “staircase molecules” may be selected so that each one has one or more of the properties which are required in an LCP material prepared by polymerizing the compound.

Abstract: A film for a liquid crystal display comprising a fatty acid cellulose ester film having an acetyl group and a propionyl group is disclosed. Sum of degree of acetyl substitution (DSac) and degree of propionyl substitution (DSpr) of the fatty acid cellulose ester film of the film is 2.8 or less, and a retardation value (Rt value) in the thickness direction defined by Formula 1 is 60 to 300 nm.

Abstract: A decorated key top presenting light transmitting rainbow-colored gloss and beautiful appearance giving a feeling of high quality, that can be produced at low cost through a continuous production process in which a liquid crystalline organic polymer layer (4) of cholesteric orientated liquid crystalline organic polymer is formed on the key top (10) surface and/or back.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device and an electro-optical device include substrates facing each other and each having an electrode, the substrates being spaced apart, spacers disposed between the substrates and defining an electro-optical cell together with the substrates, and a colloidal liquid crystal composite (CLCC) formed in the electro-optical cell. The CLCC includes particle-rich inter-domain regions and micro-domains of a mesogenic liquid crystal, and the particle-rich inter-domain regions include colloidal organic particles being networked in the mesogenic liquid crystal.

Abstract: Compounds of formula (I) wherein A, C and D represent (1) or (2), B represents (3) or (4) wherein at least one of the substituents is other than hydrogen and also at least one of the phenylene rings may be replaced by a 1,4-phenylene ring in which one or two non-adjacent CH groups have been replaced by nitrogen; k, l, m are 0 or 1, wherein k+l+m must be equal to 1 or 2; Z1, Z2, Z3 each independently of the others represents a single bond, —CH2CH2—, —CH2O—, —OCH2—, —COO—, —OOC—, —CH═CH—COO—, —OOC—CH═CH—, —(CH2)4—, —O(CH2)3—, —(CH2)3O— or —C≡C—; R1, R2 represent crosslinkable groups, and S1, S2 represent spacer units.

Abstract: Optically active butane-1,2,3,4-tetraol derivatives of formula (I). The compounds may be used as doping agents for liquid crystals for a wide range of applications, such as solid state cholesteric filters for projection displays, circular polarizers, and optical filters.

Abstract: The invention relates to cholesteric layered material having an improved color impression, to pigments prepared therefrom, and to a process for the production and use thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical retardation film comprising a layer of an anisotropic polymer material with an optical axis substantially parallel to the plane of the layer. The invention furthermore relates to a process of preparing the optical retardation film, to the use of such an optical retardation film in liquid crystal displays, and to a liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal cell and such an optical retardation film.

Abstract: An optical filter comprises a transparent support and a filter layer. The filter layer contains a dye and a binder polymer. The dye is in a non-aggregated form. The dye has an absorption maximum with a half width of not more than 100 nm within the wavelength region of 560 to 620 nm. The transparent support, the filter layer or an optional layer contains an o-substituted phenol represented by the formula (I), (II) or (III) as a ultraviolet absorbing agent.

Abstract: A transparent resin layers 12 and 13 are laminated on at least one side (in particular, both sides) of the light-scattering layer 11. The anisotropic light-scattering layer 11 comprises a continuous phase and a particulate dispersed phase 14 which have the different refraction indexes from each other, the mean aspect ratio of the particulate dispersed phase 14 is more than 1 and the longitudinal axis of the particulate dispersed phase is oriented in a direction. The laminated film 10 can be capable of diffusing incident light in its advanced direction and having a light-scattering characteristic over a range of &thgr;=4 to 30°: Fy(&thgr;)/Fx(&thgr;)>5 wherein Fx(&thgr;) represents the light-scattering characteristic in the direction of the major axis of the particulate dispersed phase and Fy(&thgr;) represents the light-scattering characteristic in the direction normal to the major axis of the particulate dispersed phase.

Abstract: A process for producing a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer having a flow beginning temperature of 340° C. or more comprising raising the temperature of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer from 200° C. or less to raising end temperature (A° C.) of (FT0+50)° C. or more in substantially solid phase condition, wherein the thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer has a flow beginning temperature (FT0) of 200° C. or more and 300° C. or less, and in a step of raising the resin temperature (t) from (FT0+20)° C. to (FT0+50)° C. (step (1)), the average raising speed of the resin temperature is from over 0.1° C./min. to less than 0.5° C./min. and the flow beginning temperature of the thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer at each resin temperature is (t−10)° C. or more and (t+40)° C. or less.

Abstract: Chiral prolinol derivatives of formula (1). The compounds may be used as doping agents for liquid crystals for a wide range of applications, including solid state cholesteric filters for projection displays, circular polarizers and optical filters.